


By Your Leave

by Cloudnine101



Category: Guardians of the Galaxy (Movies)
Genre: Bickering, Families of Choice, Gen, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-04
Updated: 2015-09-04
Packaged: 2018-04-19 01:16:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,359
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4727279
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cloudnine101/pseuds/Cloudnine101
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Yondu's never been over fond of kids.</p><p>So, of course - 'cause the universe hates him - he gets saddled with one. </p><p>Whoopedee-dee.</p>
            </blockquote>





	By Your Leave

Yondu's never been over fond of kids. They run all over the place. They smell. They fart. They burp. They spit. They chew with their mouths open. They're drinkin' all the time, and they can't hold onto enough teeth to speak properly, and they can't sit down long enough to tell you _what the darn matter is this time_.

True, the same can be said 'bout most of the crew, if Yondu's bein' honest - but kids are different. They sink their claws into you, and you just can't get 'em off. They're slimy, and dirty, and they just don't know to stop when it's good for 'em.

So, of course - 'cause the universe hates him - he gets saddled with one.

Whoopedy-dee.

 

 

It's not a long voyage. Just another half a week, and they'll be safe - on the other side of the Galaxy, and in the clear. Kid'll be gone, noise'll be gone, and nobody'll have to worry about anything ever again.

Leastways, that's what Yondu's been tellin' himself.

Fact of the matter is, kid's smart. _Over_ smart. First couple of days were peachy, truth be told. Yondu's not a man to pity himself. Kid just sat there, snivellin'. Didn't say much, didn't eat anything, stared at everyone who went by with eyes like saucers.

And that was fine with Yondu, but then he had to go over there and open his big mouth.

"Hey," he'd said, "quit your whining. You hear me?"

Kid had looked up at him, mid-sniffle, and gawped. Yondu glared at him.

Kid wasn't much bigger than a puppy, really. Tufty brown hair, big eyes. "You're an alien," he'd said.

Yondu had laughed, and walked off.

After that, though, the kid started wanderin' round more. Kept on taggin' along behind the crew - seeing where they went, what they were doin'. Most times, he got a clap round the ear and scuttled off back to his bench. But other times - well, other times, folks weren't so clever.

 

 

Take Kraglin. Normally, guy's a bright cookie - tough as old leathers, too. But he takes one look at this runt, and he's a goner. Starts babblin' on 'bout buildin' a bunk for him, 'til Yondu gets one set up to shut his trap - and by that point, the kid and he are darn near inseparable, like a gargantuan leech and the side of a hoverpod.

Kid used to sit on his shoulders, sometimes. Yondu should've put a stop to it then - but no. It was only a fortnight, and they'd be dumpin' the brat and scrammin'. What could go wrong in a fortnight?

Plenty, as it turns out. 'Cause now he's got half the ship in front of him, Kraglin included, tellin' him he can't get what's rightfully his.

 _Well_.

"So," Yondu says, "let me see if I'm gettin' this right. You want us to keep the brat?"

Kraglin shuffles, but doesn't look away. Yondu used to like that 'bout him.

"With respec', cap'n," Kraglin says, "we can't give 'im up."

"Oh, yeah?" Yondu draws himself up. One of the flight deck maintenance guys scampers back. Yondu smiles. "And why's that?"

Kraglin swallows. "'Cause we don't know what they want with 'im," he says. "They could be torturers, or assasins, or anythin'. We dunno what we're sendin' the kid into."

Yondu sighs. "We ain't paid to know that," he says. "We've been paid to hand him over. Plain and simple."

"Yeah, but - what if we jus' - don't take the money?"

" _Don't take the money?_ "

Kraglin nods. "Yes, cap'n."

"Am I hearin' you right, boy?"

"Yes, cap'n." Kraglin's smirk flickers. "Me and the boys have been talkin', and by our reckonin', they won't mind us handin' him in - a little late."

"A little late?" Yondu frowns. "How much late?"

"Couple of years, give or take," deck maintenance pipes in. "Could say we got lost in an asteroid belt."

There's a chorus of nodding and coughs. Yondu stares. "Are you all outta your goddarn _minds_? Take a look around! This piece of junk is fallin' to pieces! And you wanna lose our only chance of a repair this side of the galaxy?" To prove his point, Yondu kicks the wall. Hard. "Darn it!"

"We could go someplace else," Kraglin suggests. "Away from Terran. Off the Belt. Start huntin'."

"Huntin'," Yondu echoes. "You wanna go huntin'? We could be livin' like kings! Think on it! House for the each of us, ship for the each of us, mutt for the each of us if you want it! You could buy yourself a life with those gems! Don't any of you want that?"

Eyes dart. Heads loll. There's a certain something in the air - something Yondu can't quite put his finger on. It was there on his last ship, too, before that blew. It's called mutiny.

Kraglin's not meetin' his eyes.

"Any of you gonna disagree?"

There's a hush. Stillness.

"Cap'n," Kraglin says, and then he just marches straight on out. He don't wait for leave. Neither do the others. They just pile through the door, one after the other, and don't look back. They're quiet all the way down the corridor, and out onto the brig.

Yondu hasn't heard silence in a long, long time.

 

 

When Yondu calls the kid to his cabin, it's past time he should be sleepin'. Kid's awake, of course - bright eyed and bushy tailed, practically. He only yawns on.

"You're gonna send me away," the kid says. "Aren't you?"

Yondu sits back, and stares him out. Kid folds his arms over his chest. Somebody's decked him up in gear, but he's still got his Terran clothes on underneath. His pants have got holes in 'em.

"So what if I am?"

Kid keeps his face flat. Yondu's surprised. Normally, he'd be a weepin' mess by now.

"I wanna stay," he says. "With you guys."

Yondu blinks. "What?"

"I said," the kid says, "I wanna stay. Please. Cap'n."

Yondu leans forward. "Say that again."

"I can fight," the kid barrels on. "Learn to, anyway. I can hold a gun. I'm old enough. Mom was gonna teach me, but then she - I'm big for how old I am. I'll grow up tall, too. Everyone always said so."

"It ain't 'bout height, boy, it's 'bout killin'!" Yondu slams his hands down on the desk. The kid flinches. "You want that?"

The kid sucks in his lip. "Yes, sir," he says. "I do." His nose has turned red.

"Aww," Yondu says, "ain't the Terran cute. I won't have it. D'you hear me? You've been poisnonin' my crew! Leechin' into my ship! Next I'll be callin' you brother, and givin' you equal rations!"

The kid stares at him. "You wouldn't give your brother equal rations," he says. "You'd keep them for yourself."

For a moment, Yondu is torn between lashin' out and laughin'.

Sittin' back, he lets out a chuckle. "You're smart, kid. I like that."

"Does that mean I can - "

"No, it don't. Means you can stay on. Temporarily." Yondu shifts in his seat. Kid's eyes bore holes in him. "Lucky for you, I'm lackin' a cabin boy. Last one get his leg blown off in a firefight. Wasn't much use to us after that."

"I won't," the boy says. "I'm smart, remember?"

"Get out." Edging away, Yondu closes his eyes. "And you lot listenin' outside the door can clear off, too."

There's the sound of trampin' footsteps, and a few muffled curses, and then they're alone. Kid's turned towards the door. He's halfway to it.

"You just remember, boy," Yondu calls out. "One slip up, and you're out. I don't care how attached my crew seem to have gotten, you're in my custody. I say you go, you go."

The kid stands up straight. His hands have balled into fists. "Yes, cap'n," he says.

Yondu nods, and waves his hand. "Scram," he yells. "Before I shoot you." But the door's already swinging shut behind him.

Yondu looks around, and crosses one leg over the other, and shakes his head. "Cocky kid," he says. "Stupid."

 

 

In the morning, Kraglin hands him two gator-worms, and calls it breakfast in bed. Yondu ruffles his hair.


End file.
